The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention(s). It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art, or material, to the presently described or claimed inventions, or that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of alarm clocks and more specifically relates to a portable and personal alarm clock system.
2. Description Of The Related Art
Many people in modern society are part of the large sector termed “the workforce.” Each country has a working sector of the population that is predominantly accredited with creation of the country's gross national product. In modern industrialized societies, rigid schedules are kept by large and small companies to keep up with production level requirements. Alarm clocks may be used to awaken people who otherwise might over-sleep, preventing them from arriving late for work.
Many individuals use alarm clocks to wake them for work or other activities. Modern digital alarm clocks often feature a radio alarm function and/or a beeping or buzzing alarm, allowing a sleeper to awaken at a predetermined time. Most also offer a “snooze button”, a large button often located on the top of the clock that stops the alarm from sounding and sets it to ring again after a short duration. The primary use of these clocks is to awaken people from their night's sleep or short naps; they are sometimes used for other reminders as well. To stop the sound from being emitted, a button or handle on the clock is pressed; further most clocks automatically stop the alarm sound if left unattended for a lengthy duration.
A classic analog alarm clock traditionally has an extra hand or inset dial that is used to specify the time at which to activate the alarm. Mechanical alarm clocks may have one or two bells that ring by means of a mainspring that drives a gear that propels a hammer back and forth between the two bells or between the interior sides of a single bell. In some models, the back encasement of the clock itself acts as the bell. In an electric bell-style alarm clock, the bell is actuated by an electromagnetic circuit and armature that turns the circuit on and off repeatedly. Different versions of digital alarm clocks can make other sounds. Simple battery-powered alarm clocks may make a loud buzzing or beeping sound to wake a sleeper. A progressive alarm clock can have different alarms for different times. Most modern cell phones have alarm clock functions to turn on or make sounds at specified times.
Problems may exist for example when a husband and wife or various members of a family have different work shift or school schedules, wherein traditional alarm clocks may awaken other family members, creating an unnecessary disruption. One member can be awakened for work while unintentionally waking other members of a family and cutting short their required sleep time. Present embodiments do not take this into consideration.
Various attempts have been made to solve the above-mentioned problems such as those found in Pub. Nos. 2002/0181336; U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,894,455; 6,008,720; 4,821,247; 6,906,983; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,777,474. This prior art is representative of alarm-sounding devices. None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed.
Ideally, a portable and personal alarm clock system should be user-friendly and, yet, would operate reliably and be manufactured at a modest expense. Thus, a need exists for a reliable, portable, and personal alarm clock system to awaken a specified user and to avoid the above-mentioned problems.